Καταστροφή
by craigbatter2
Summary: The son of the goddess Artemis and the giant Orion, fueled by vengeance, embarks on a journey to complete an impossible task: to kill the Olympian gods and bring an end to what he perceives to be an unjust, dictatorial rule. Along the way, he connects with many beings who have been wronged by the Olympians as well as one demigod who is still faithful to them. Read and review!
1. Constellations

**I do not own the rights to any of these characters. All of these characters are either based upon Greek myth or the Percy Jackson series created by Rick Riordan. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my story. If you can, please let me know what you think of the story; all feedback is appreciated. Cheers!**

Heat rose to meet his gaze as his eyes surveyed the damage. It seemed like the entire mountain was on fire. The effects of the damage were exacerbated by the vibrations that resounded through the area like an earthquake. Several buildings and statues fell to join the other structures that had been reduced to ash and rubble. He heard the screams of the overpowered and the yells of the victorious. Luminous blasts of energy bounced from place to place, like children playing with rainbow-colored firecrackers. Satyrs and nymphs tried to flee the scene, only to realize that there was no escape from this destruction. His eyes swept up to the grand palace. Several creatures, demigods, and embittered minor gods violently tore through the area. They were knocking pillars down, defacing statues, and publicly executing the victims who were either not fast enough nor strong enough. He looked at the moon, partly to escape the destruction and partly to disassociate himself from his part in this. The moon, forever vivid and perceptive, looked back at him as if it saw everything he did. It judged him and prompted him to admit the reality. Once he looked back at the apocalypse overtaking the area, he realized that what he did could not be taken back. Olympus had fallen, and the gods were doomed to die by his hand.

 _Some time ago…_

Asteria watched as Calix ran on the beach, trying to catch a wolf that was no bigger than he was. The night sky was brilliantly adorned with stars of all types. She thought it was almost as beautiful as her son. As she watched him sprint after the animal, she noticed that his form was perfect. His tiny limbs were moving in perfect conjunction for the most efficient achievement of distance over time. His smile stretched for miles while his feet took him just as far. His aura, however, his _aura,_ was what captured her attention. His power was spiking exponentially as the chase went on. He gave off the energy of a hunter, of someone who chases and kills for sport.

Discomfort crawled up Asteria's body. Neither she nor her husband ever took to hunting; they lived a humble life of peace and balance with the animals on the island. Their food sprung from the ground in the form of edible vegetation, so they took great care to not harm any of the creatures. After all, they were just visitors and they needed to show the natives the proper respect. In turn, the animals have treated them with respect and love, and Asteria made it a priority to reflect those feelings upon them. Through her marriage to Perses, she came to realize the importance of a balance between life and death. She learned to stop saving every animal that was in trouble of losing its life because it was the cycle of existence. Life becomes death, and in turn, breeds new life. Asteria had no problem with those who hunt out of survival because that has its place within the natural cycle. However, commercial hunters brought a different kind of death with them; a death that bred humiliation instead of new life. Consequently, Asteria had no respect for those that hunt for entertainment. She had tried everything in her power to pass that belief on to her son. Yet, here Calix was, with the eyes and smile of a killer. Asteria recognized his birth parents' genealogy manifesting itself and knew that the time had come to tell him where he came from.

At the risk of disappointing Calix, she snapped, a sharp sound that cut through the night and seemed to deafen the noise of the crashing water. The stars glowed brighter for a moment. The wolf turned on a dime and made a beeline straight towards her. Calix followed eagerly. When the wolf reached her outstretched hand, it evaporated into mist. Calix sat down in front of her as his smile faded from view.

"You never let me hunt."

Asteria sat in the sand, facing her son with open arms. Begrudgingly, her son turned so they were facing the same direction and leaned into her embrace. When he touched her, she could feel the adrenaline and power flowing from his body and returning him back to his base level of stimulation. Together, they faced the water and the glowing backdrop of celestial bodies. The wind coursed through the beach, but seemed to split upon reaching their embrace so as to not chill them.

"Is hunting something you would like to do?"

"Yes!" Calix's arms flung into the air in an exasperated fashion, as if to say, _Duh, Mom!_

Asteria kept her eyes to the stars. Power flowed through her and a star streaked across the sky.

"To what end?"

As she expected, there was silence from her son. She sighed and rubbed his hair.

"Son, look up at the stars."

She felt her son's head tilt upwards and she focused. Immediately, the stars began to brighten and shift. They moved around slowly to create a shape. As if on cue, she felt Calix's chest heave up and down in laughter. She knew he loved it when she did that. His laughter ceased when he saw what she was creating. The shape was that of young Calix. The wind turned into a warm breeze and did not split when it reached the pair this time.

She concentrated once more, and some other stars created to form a wolf-type constellation. She then began to animate the constellations as she narrated her point.

"The hunter is one who does not care for the balance of life and death. The hunter is one that likes to kill for no reason and harbors hostility towards all living creatures. Those that kill for sport have no respect for life."

With her words, the Hunter constellation began to move and chase the Wolf constellation across the sky. Calix, now engaged in this presentation, scrambled up and turned in a circle as he followed the constellations' chase. The Hunter constellation notched an arrow in his bow and shot a projectile of stars into his target. The Wolf constellation slumped and did not move anymore. This time, a cold breeze whisked through the beach air and Asteria saw Calix cover his arms.

"But when the hunter succeeds in killing his target, there is nothing. There is no balance, no shame, no benefit but the feelings of dominance and narcissism."

The Hunter constellation picked up the Wolf and tossed it across the night sky, where it exploded into a random collection of stars; it was an animal no more. It notched another arrow of stars and ran off into the night, exploding into stars as well.

"In turn, the hunter just continues his never-ending quest for blood. Is this what you want to be? A bloodthirsty hunter who kills for sport?"

Calix turned to his mother. His white robes whipped around in the now violent wind. His silver eyes melted Asteria's heart, as they always did. The wind blew his brown hair back as if the ocean was reaching out and pulling it towards the water. She gave him a smile and extended her hand. He regarded it for a second and reached to grab it. Once he grasped it, the wind dissipated and was replaced by an easy breeze. Calix looked down to the sand.

He whispered, "I am sorry, Mother."

Asteria pulled him close and hugged him tightly. She noticed that her son was not hugging back and gently pushed him back to face him. He had tears welling up in his eyes. He spoke softly.

"I do not want to be one of the bad people who kills animals. But hunting calls me. I like it. I cannot make it stop. It is where…I feel like I can breathe the best. When I hunt, the world becomes clearer and I feel closest to…my soul. I do not know if that makes sense. I have tried to push it down, but it just comes back stronger. I see death in my dreams. My dreams are full of me hunting and killing, and I cannot make it stop."

Asteria stared at him and had to call upon her husband's resolve to stop from weeping as well.

He sniffed and reached for her. "Please make it stop, Mother?"

She pulled him to the ground once more so his head was in her lap and his body was stretched like an arrow to be shot into the water.

"You are not an evil child. You have one of the purest hearts I have seen. But your conflict is not lost upon me. I have told you that we took you in, but it's time you learn where you came from. Close your eyes."

Calix obeyed and Asteria put her fingers to his temples. She began to concentrate. A white light flowed through her fingers and once it reached Calix's head, it expanded into small ripples of energy.

"You have the spirit of a hunter because you came from two of them."

She felt Calix slip into unconsciousness and she began to project images that illustrated her story.

"Your father was the Gigante Orion, a man who was born to hunt. He excelled at whatever endeavor he embarked on."

Asteria flashed an image of a towering man through Calix's mind. He was standing in a forest and wore hunting gear. The man had light brown skin and wild, dark hair. His eyes were alive with curiosity and humor. He looked up to the sun shining through the treetops and smiled brilliantly in gratitude for another day. He reached back to grab his spear and leapt onto a tree branch. From there, he hopped from branch to branch, tracking a large lion that was running on the ground beneath him. The wind blew with his run, as if trying to push him to go faster. Orion executed a front-flip onto another branch in front of him and reached for a nearby vine. Once he secured it, he shifted his weight and swung through the air. He threw the spear with his empty hand and yelled as it impaled the lion through the back of its head. The spear sliced through the lion's outstretched mouth and embedded itself into the ground, nailing the carcass down.

"His skills along with his honor and charisma made him the first male to find favor with Artemis, one half of the Twin Archers and the Olympian goddess of the Hunt, the moon, chastity, and animals."

An image of Orion falling to the ground to survey his catch was played through Calix's unconscious mind. He watched as the dream manifestation of his father inspected the lion's mane, teeth, and fur. As Orion examined the angle of the spear, he heard something and immediately drew his bow. Three arrows were notched in it, and the curiosity in his eyes spiked. What he saw prompted him to lower it slowly; a group of women geared to hunt standing in front of him. The women all seemed like they were poised to fight and none of them seemed particularly unsettled by the dead lion. Instead, they regarded Orion like he was an outsider that they had only heard of in legends.

Their eyes flickered to one woman who was leading the group. The group's energy seemed to either surround her or emanate from her. She had long black hair that cascaded down to her chest. She had olive-colored skin and glowing silver eyes. Her jawline was sharp and rigid, like she was the default alpha of whatever group she found herself in. She radiated the beauty of a pack of wolves; one is content admiring from afar, but getting too close would be dangerous. She was dressed in black and brown hunting gear, and her silver arrows had glowing golden inscriptions on them. The heads of the arrows twinkled in the light and the sunlight seemed to turn its attention onto her. Orion's attention was diverted as well as he regarded the figure in front of him. There was a ripple of discomfort through the group of Hunters, for they felt something they had sworn off; attraction.

"He found so much favor in fact, that she extended an invitation for him to join her tribe of Hunters; the first male to run with her. Her very decision caused unrest among her Olympian relatives. They shamed, intimidated, and ostracized her. They were already so familiar with her status as a virgin goddess that they refused to accept anything that may point to a change in that identity."

Calix's dream shifted to Artemis and Orion running with one another as they led a pack of Hunters through the forest. It was raining, and lightning struck intimidatingly in the distance. Thunder resounded through the area and nature itself seemed to be trying to scare them. Instead of looking up at the violent sky, Artemis and Orion looked at one another. Orion smiled at her, invoking one from her as well.

"She refused to listen, though, and from that love came you. Once you were born, Artemis was revolted by you. Your birth was a physical manifestation of her forfeiture of respect, love, and acceptance from her family. As I have told you many times, morality and power are two things that do not correlate well with one another. She wanted to destroy you."

Asteria flashed an image of Artemis holding a child in her hands, one that was swaddled in Orion's hunting clothes. He stood, shirtless, in a tent as he watched the goddess hold the child. Orion's smile melted when he saw her expression. Artemis dropped the child and stood, drawing her bow and arrow from thin air and pointing it at the infant.

"Orion was horrified by his lover's dedication to her identity. He swallowed that fear and used his charm to convince her to sleep on her decision until dawn. That night, Orion took you and brought you to the Aeagan Sea. He had heard of the story of a Titaness fleeing to an island in that sea to be safe from Zeus' aggressive advances. He said a prayer to that woman."

Images of Orion taking the child to the shore of a large body of water flashed through Calix's mind. Orion dropped the child into the water and closed his eyes in a silent prayer. Ripples flowed through the water, and a supernatural force created a current that washed baby Calix out to sea.

"When dawn came and Artemis prepared to kill the infant, she realized that you and Orion were gone. She hunted you two down. And what a great hunter she was. She hunted you two to the Aeagan Sea and found her lover and her child there. Orion tried to reason with her, but she immediately eradicated the child. Little did she know, Orion's prayer had paid off; the Titaness understood his plight and resolved to help him. She had cast an illusion over the rock and in Artemis' blind rage, the goddess thought that a rock was her child. The Titaness found it amusing because her grandfather, Kronos, had done the same thing. In Artemis' eyes, she had fulfilled her duty. To Orion, however, this was a sign of one of two realities; either the goddess he loved had changed into a monster, or he never truly knew who she was. They fought by the water, a brutal fight full of passion and emotion."

Asteria showed a slowed fight between Orion and Artemis. She depicted it as she envisioned it was; a beautiful clash of two great powers, a fight full of perfect form, deadly attacks, and godly energy.

"Artemis barely won the fight, but could not kill him due to his Giant physiology. She then departed and took her Hunters with her after telling a tale of Orion's self-centeredness and aggression. You were safe though; Orion had put you in the water and prayed to that Titaness for safe travels to the mythical island."

She showed the infant being rushed to a beautiful island by the current. Falcons, seagulls, and fish raced to the island along with the child and the wind was blowing with them.

"A chance of survival was better than certain death for you. When he finally came back to consciousness and had healed up enough to stand, he was attacked. Not by a physical attack, but by a barrage upon the mind. When he stood, he saw an ant. He felt an overwhelming urge to kill the ant, and so he did. Once he did, he felt the urge to kill the other ant he saw. After that, he saw a deer and went to attack that as well. After that, he saw a fish. And a beetle. And a bird. And a squirrel. He was driven mad. He hunted and killed every single beast in that forest until he ran into a giant scorpion. That beast ended his rampage, and the body of your father was found in the forest."

An image of Orion standing shakily played through Calix's mind. When Orion turned, however, his eyes reflected chaotic bloodlust as opposed to the curiosity and gratitude that once inhabited it. Orion began to furiously stomp, run, punch, and kick every animal he saw. The dream faded to black with the echo of Orion's screams.

"You made it to the island though, in the hands of the Titaness and her reluctant husband. After speaking to Orion's spirit about what happened through necromantic conjuring from the Titaness, the pair decided to take you in and hide you. The Titaness decided to change your name as well, to Calix."

Calix opened his eyes slowly and Asteria stared down at him. His silver eyes were producing tears that seemed to flow from a never-ending pool. His body shook violently as if trying to purge the sad memories from his mind. She kissed him on the forehead and hugged him.

"You come from two hunters, Calix. Hunting is in your nature. However, the inclinations that one has does not need to translate directly into actions. An individual can learn how to grow and evolve past what they were made to do. You can too. It is important to treat every animal with the same respect you treat me and your father. Wildlife is something to be celebrated, not disrespected. Do you understand what I am telling you, Calix?"

Calix nodded. His mother caressed his face and regarded him for a second with kind eyes. She proceeded to stand and walk towards their crystalline cave. Before she entered the cave, she turned to look at her son once more. He had not moved yet and was looking up at the moon. Though most of his body had stopped shaking, his hand was still trembling. She watched his fingers formed into a tight fist as he met the gaze of the large celestial body. Asteria kept all these things in her heart and prayed that the nighttime would eventually bring Calix peace.


	2. Five Lessons

**I do not own the rights to any of these characters. All of these characters are either based upon Greek myth or the Percy Jackson series created by Rick Riordan. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my story. If you can, please let me know what you think of the story; all feedback is appreciated. Cheers!**

 _Some time later…_

The sun was starting to rise over the island, sending Calix's internal senses into overdrive. A strong breeze flowed into the cave and wrestled him from his slumber. The makeshift bed made of stone and hard water shifted and shook as Calix sat up. Several scents permeated his nose; the smell of dew, the ocean, animals, the trees, and his mother's fragrance. His partly conscious mind registered the gray-white walls that were mostly covered by shining crystals. These fragments refracted colors of blue, green, and purple, like tiny colored suns glowing within each shard. The areas that were not covered by crystals were covered by old paintings he had created in his youth. They were made from a colored paste that the coconuts on the island produced. When Calix would dip his finger inside the coconut, it would come out shaded by the designated color, and when he ran it across a surface, it would create a stroke of that same color.

Though the paintings themselves were faded, a combination of the pictures' remnants and his own memory allowed him to clearly see what he had drawn. One drawing was of the beach during the daytime; a hastily-drawn sun that lit up the island for the several creatures in the picture. There were cats, wolves, deer, Pegasi, and crabs. Another painting was of the moon and the stars. Calix remembered that when he had created that drawing, he could not find a white-yellow paste to serve as the color of the moon. He looked through several coconuts until his father caught him and implored him to stop wasting so much. Calix resolved to be creative and had used a light red paste to color in the moon. The finished product showed a sweeping sky of blue and black, small stars of white, and a large, intimidating moon of red.

The last painting was of his mother. Asteria's dress was a long, dark blue and full of the constellations of the night sky. Her skin was a pale white and her long hair was being actively blown by the wind. Her face was of a beautiful woman with a kindly twinkle in her eyes. As the Titaness of falling stars, prophetic divination, and necromancy, Asteria was a figure that could be frightening to some. However, to Calix, she was always kind and just. Though she tended to be too wise for Calix at times, he loved her to Tartarus and back.

Once his mind came to full consciousness, he realized what time of morning it was; dawn. The sunlight was filtering through the holes in the crystalline cave, lighting up the walls like multi-colored fireflies. Panic shot through his body like poison and he scrambled to grab his sword. He shot out into the brisk morning air and ran down the sandy hill that was sparsely populated with shrubs and grass. He finally reached his destination; a strong, armored figure who was watching the sun rise over the clouds above the island of Delos. He slowed when he got there and kneeled with his face to the ground. The figure turned, grabbed Calix's chin and lifted him up to full height. Perses looked in his father's eyes.

Perses bore the mantle of the Titan of destruction. He was a large man, looming at about nine feet tall and with muscles poking out of every space on his body. His skin was the color of tree bark and his eyes were a piercing golden. His hair fell in tightly coiled, brown and black locks that reached to the middle of his back. His beard was long and impressive, and shone as if it had accumulated morning dew as well. It was something Calix aspired to attain. His eyes held a glint with the capacity to easily shift from anger and condemnation to approval and compassion. His armor was made of gray and black adamantine, covering the entirety of his body except for his head. His right arm threw off the symmetry of the image because it had an armored sleeve that was much larger than anything else on his body.

"You are late, my son." His voice seemed to shake the grains of sand and make the waves shrink back in fear. Perses released Calix and the latter stumbled back to a respectful distance.

"Yes, father." Calix put his head down.

Calix felt Perses regard him for a second and proceed to circle him. Wherever his father's eyes were, Calix felt his skin rise in temperature. He fought the urge to follow his father's gaze.

"You are growing up. Soon, you will be fully grown, and your powers would have manifested themselves fully."

Excitement flared in Calix's heart, but he did not dare let it show in his eyes. His unorthodox physiology of part-god and part-giant had started to yield some interesting abilities. He was beginning to exhibit vast strength as the time passed; in a sparring session with his father, he threw a punch. Perses dodged the punch and Calix's fist embedded itself in the mountain. The impact of the punch sent a shockwave up the mountain that split the structure in two. Both sides of the mountain had come crumbling down in an avalanche.

His speed was also starting to increase exponentially; he found himself being able to run from one side of the island to the other in seconds. This increased velocity of his movements manifested itself in battle quickness as well; he found himself able to draw a bow and arrow quicker than his father could unsheathe his sword.

He felt the power of a divine energy within him as well. Some time ago, his mother had brought some of her good friends to the island for a time of meditation. Her friends were called The Graces, and they came to lead Calix and Asteria in meditation. They did so until evening fell, and when the moon came up, he felt an energy building up in him that prevented him from relaxing. When he opened his eyes, tendrils of glowing white energy were crawling up his arm as if his arm was cracking and splitting open. The energy moved quickly towards his hand. He extended his hand away from anyone else and a large column of luminescent white-yellow energy exploded from his hand and momentarily split the ocean in two.

With these growing abilities as well as his perfect aim and enhanced senses, Calix was excited to try them out on something. However, a lesson his father always stressed was to never show emotion; it gives more material for the enemy to utilize. Calix fought his heart and maintained an expressionless face.

Perses continued. "Soon, you will be leaving this island and embarking on endeavors that Asteria and I could have never imagined. But before you do, there are five lessons that you must learn past the mundane combat skills I have already taught you. These five lessons are pieces of knowledge I have accumulated over my lifetime about the concept of destruction. I will teach you the first one now."

Perses drew a sword and attacked Calix. The latter dove away and parried his father's second attack with his own sword. Calix tried to sweep Perses' legs from under him, but his father jumped over the attack and tried for a savage downward thrust. The sword stabbed Calix's leg, earning the ghost of a wince from the son. Though his soul cried out in pain, he had learned to suppress those feelings. He stared his father down as those golden eyes watched his facial expression. Perses twisted the sword in Calix's leg, but the son remained expressionless.

"The first lesson is that destruction is not something to be feared. Large empires will tear their pre-existing structures down to replace it with new ones. Think of a puncture wound. Though the integrity of the skin had been compromised by a blow, soon—"

He wrenched the sword from Calix's leg and the wound healed instantly. Calix scrambled up and leveled his sword towards his father. Though he still felt the pain of the strike, his leg was now completely functional due to the accelerated healing that stemmed from both sources of his parentage.

"-something new will take its place."

He attacked Calix once more with a side swipe paired with a quick flurry of attacks. Calix dodged the initial swipe and proceeded to parry all the attacks. He leapt a few feet in the air and kicked Perses in the chest. His father flew back ten feet and fell to the ground.

"The Norse pantheon has a concept called Ragnarok, an event full of cataclysms that will result in the deaths of the gods and the end of the world. From there, the world and the gods will come out of the ashes like a phoenix's fire."

Perses stood and shot out his hand. Calix's body flew to his hand and Perses followed up with a roundhouse punch with the other hand. Once the strike connected with Calix's chin, a wave of force rippled from the punch. Calix dropped.

"Though the Greek concept of destruction does not completely align with that of Ragnarok, there are some similarities between them. If you ever encounter destruction, as long as it is destruction with a purpose, something new will rise up to take its place."

Calix struggled up, nodded, then attacked his father. They proceeded to train until sunset, when Asteria called them in for their daily meditation.

The second lesson took place one night when Perses woke Calix up in the middle of his sleep. Though he had just awoken, his father's presence had a habit of immediately activating all of Calix's mental functions. Even the crystals within the cave seemed to deaden in color whilst in the presence of Perses. His father silently left through the mouth of the cave and began to climb up the mountain. He beckoned for his son to follow. Calix exited the cave, bent his knees and leapt up twenty feet in the air, grabbing on to the side of the mountain with both hands. While holding his weight with one arm, he used the other to strike the mountain. His blow had enough force behind it to create an impromptu handhold. From there, he was able to use the newfound traction to pull himself up. He repeated this process until he met his father at the top of the mountain. When Calix arrived, his breath caught in his throat. The beach glittered in the night and the water looked as if there was moonlight shimmering over it. Calix could smell and hear the animals on the island peacefully sleeping. He did not even feel any wind; it was as if the breezes had gone to sleep as well.

His father nudged him and Calix trained his eyes to where Perses was pointing. By the ledge, there was a nest made of old coconut shells and sticks for a family of birds. Their feathers glowed a light blue, like orbs in the night. Their bodies also had vibrant white markings on it that shifted as they breathed. One was much larger than the others and seemed to be the maternal unit within the group. The others were much smaller and nestled under the mother's glowing wing. As the two watched the beautiful animals sleep, his father flicked his finger. The nest careened off the edge of the mountain. Calix stood up quickly. Adrenaline pumped from his heart to the rest of his body as he tried to process why his father would kill the birds. He heard the nest hit the ground and fear's ice-cold fingers gripped his veins. Calix slowly moved towards the edge. When he looked over, he expected to see a broken nest and corpses strewn across the bottom of the mountain.

Instead, he jerked back; his eye had almost got taken out as the mother bird flew straight up, followed by her children. The younger birds were flapping furiously, but were not rising as quickly as their mother. The mother bird flew through the sky and looked back to see that her children were not behind her. She executed a beautiful arc and flew back to the edge of the mountain. She landed next to Calix and looked over the edge as well, just as he had done a few seconds ago. The younger birds were learning how to fly. They would flap three quick times in succession and would begin to rise in the air. Calix would then sense fear within them. Out of that fear, the baby birds would stop flapping. They would then hover for a bit and begin to fall, which would spark their survival instincts and prompt them to flap once more.

Calix turned as the mother bird called out and ruffled her wings. In one powerful flap, she took off into the air as her wings flapped steadily and continuously. The birds watched her and began to imitate her movements. They started to flap steadily and continuously and chirped in victory as they began to fly up. They all began to follow their mother's path through the sky. Perses flicked his finger once more and the destroyed nest floated back up to the mountain. Once it touched the mountain, the pieces put themselves back together until the nest was fully re-formed. However, the mother bird took the nest in her talons and flew off with her children following.

Perses whispered the second lesson to his son. "Destruction prompts creativity. The destruction of an ideal, of a place, of a pre-existing schema fosters new ideas to grow. Like those birds, when their nest of safety was destroyed, they were forced to find a new way to survive. Those younger birds could not fly just yet. Not because they were incapable of doing so, for their wings were fully developed and were able to support flight. But they could not fly because they had not tried to do so. The safety of their nest provided an air of comfort, and comfort is the enemy of progress. Even when I returned their sense of comfort back to them, so many doors had opened due to this progress and creativity. They went to take advantage of new opportunities and left the old behind. Do you understand what I am saying?"

Calix watched as the radiant blue lights flew off into the night sky. He sat on the edge of the mountain and watched his legs swing back and forth. The ocean seemed to now be awake and coursed towards the shore aggressively. Calix wondered if the ocean would come up with creative ideas if the entire beach was destroyed.

"Why was this idea lost to my parents?"

Calix felt heat on his back; Perses had turned his attention onto his son. The son of Artemis and Orion could practically feel his father beckoning him to elaborate.

"Artemis wanted to kill me because my existence represented the destruction of who she was among the Olympian family. Why did she fail to realize that my arrival was just an opportunity to innovate?"

Perses sat next to his son. Calix fought the urge to shift in discomfort; his father's power seemed to overwhelm his senses.

"Child, most people do not understand what I am teaching you. Most fear destruction because it means the death of what they were. Your birth mother is an Olympian goddess. If given the choice, she would never give up her power and influence for something unfamiliar like your birth. Your father appreciated the change, but not fully. His level of understanding regarding what you represented was handicapped by his joy at having a son."

Calix wished that he could have a conversation with Orion; he had so many questions for him. However, he had trouble choosing whether he wanted to meet Orion or Artemis if given the chance. He had many things to say to both, on opposing sides of the spectrum of love and hate. The moon continued to shine and stared Calix down, condemning him for the hate he felt for Artemis He felt energy course through his arms, but he pushed it down.

"I did not want to take you in to our island."

Calix looked at his father who kept his eyes to the ocean. "Asteria brought you to Delos and asked me if we could raise you. I already had raised Hecate and looked forward to living out the rest of my days until my death. However, you came and represented exactly what you represented to Artemis; destruction of my plans for the rest of my existence."

 _Destruction._ Anger pumped like blood through Calix's body. Though he cared for his father, he knew that Perses was not one to go out of his way to spare feelings. He just had to accept that he would never represent happiness or peace for anyone; just destruction.

"But me holding my current mantle among the Titan pantheon, I understood the possible benefit in destruction. Your mother had destroyed my plans to participate in the war against the Olympians and convinced me to try something new; a life of peace. And seeing you along with her smile…I knew that even as a forbidden child, we were your best chance at a home."

Calix turned away from his father. The anger previously swirling within him had now shifted to conflict.

"And that raises my third lesson. Destruction is, at its core, humbling. It tears to the ground structures that reach even Olympus. If you were offered the opportunity to stand in front of Artemis, what would you do? If you could stand in front of the Olympian council, what would you do?"

Calix thought about it. Part of him would likely grab the nearest weapon and try to kill her. He would try to take her life for killing his Orion, for casting Orion out of the Hunters, for being a hypocrite, for "killing" him as well. However, the main thing that bothered him was that a small part of him would hug her and ask her what he did wrong. He would ask her where he came from, what happened, and what he can do to be accepted by her. If he was in front of the Olympian Council, part of him would immediately declare his identity and force Artemis to accept him. Another part, however, would be just as interested in protecting her legacy and position of power.

"I would tear her throne and legacy down."

Calix met Perses' eyes with an expression masked as resolve. Perses studied him for a second longer than usual, then proceeded to climb down the mountain. He left Calix there that night, questioning the residual love he felt for Artemis.

The fourth lesson did not come for many months. It came when Perses and Calix were sparring. Perses had bested Calix once more by feinting to the side and following up with a cleave through Calix's left knee. He crumpled to the ground, and his father kicked him in the face. Calix's head snapped back and pulled the rest of his body to the ground. Perses grabbed Calix by his garment and punched him. The force of the blow resulted in a small shockwave of force that instantly brought Calix out of his current level of consciousness. He woke back up a moment later, only to be greeted by another blow of the same caliber. Perses took his sword and stabbed it in every vital area of Calix's body. His heart cried out towards his mother as it always did during particularly brutal sparring sessions. His mind, however, knew that no one was coming. He watched as Perses threw the sword to the side and used his vast strength to break both of Calix's legs. Screams were coming up Calix's throat, but he denied them in favor of silence. Perses then knelt over his son and continued to strike him with increasing levels of force until Calix felt his life force drain.

Perses rose his fist, but did not throw it down. Once Calix allowed himself to hope the onslaught had ended, Perses rose his other fist and hit his son with a double-fisted overhand strike, knocking Calix out.

When he was knocked out, he dreamt of a large war between two groups of powerful figures. One bearded man rode in on the clouds, holding a huge bolt of lightning. He wore an expression as fierce as the energy he was holding. Calix saw one group fall and be imprisoned within the ground. He saw the victorious group create a city in the skies to serve as their residence. He saw humanity created, and from them, he saw murder, death, rape, slavery, quests, tragedy, infidelity, happiness, conquests, triumphs, and misery. He saw Artemis among the victorious group in the skies and he saw Asteria being chased through the skies by the bearded man who had once held lightning in his hand. He saw children of this group of individuals harnessing their parents' powers. He saw deities who were not as strong as the victorious group be shunned and ostracized. The last thing he saw before he awoke was a woman with the beauty and strength of a Roman goddess, obsidian black hair and blue eyes as light and vibrant as the birds' feathers.

When he finally woke up, it was dawn the next day. Calix felt himself still on the ground, bleeding. His blood soaked the sand around him, turning it a shameful crimson. He felt his physiology working to set his bones back to the right position with rhythmic _cricks_. His body was healing the wounds inflicted upon him. Once his eyes had healed up enough for his vision to return, he saw his father sitting on the sand next to him. He was sitting cross-legged and facing the water. His gaze was un-blinking and focused. However, he seemed to sense his son's newfound consciousness.

"The visions you saw detailed the history of the Olympian gods. The world was initially ruled by and comprised of the Protogenoi. They gave birth to the Titans, a group that included your mother and me. Kronos judged that the Protogenoi were unfit to rule and at the encouragement of his mother, killed his father to take his place. The Titans then ruled with the animals and there was peace for a while. Kronos was a good ruler, though he was a bit corrupted by his own power at some points. We then gave birth to the group that would become the Olympian gods. Zeus was born, the owner of the Master Bolt. He came to the same conclusion about us that Kronos did about the Protogenoi. He overthrew Kronos by force and took control of this plane of existence. Zeus started his own family of deities, and they currently reside in Mount Olympus. After the Titan War, they harbored resentment towards all Titans, even those who did not participate. Delos is an island that is protected by a powerful layer of magic and it is why Orion sent you here."

Calix's eyes began to return to their normal shapes and the rhythmic _cricks_ continued. Perses turned to his son.

"Soon, the gods will find their way here. They will attack us and try to kill us. When someone tries to attack you, do not be afraid to destroy them. Destroy their body, their skills, their inspiration, their confidence, and their soul. You probably now harbor resentment towards me for attacking you in such a manner. However, you need to understand that once you leave this island of mystery, you will be viewed as something that needs to be destroyed. And you need to be ready to eradicate whoever attacks you. This gods will not show you mercy. They will discriminate against you because of who you are. They will try to kill you. Do not be afraid of death, for death has its place. But make them earn the privilege of killing you. Do you understand?"

Calix tried to nod, but could not. However, Perses seemed to understand the attempt and headed back to the cave.

The last lesson came during the makeshift family's daily meditation a few years later. Calix had his eyes closed and was floating upon an air shaft. Warmth cascaded through his body in waves and he felt a connection with all the living things on the island. He was simultaneously himself, the animals, the water, and the setting sun. For that second, he controlled the wind and the wind controlled him. He was under the ground and up in the skies at the same time. He felt energy coursing through him, but instead of rushing to his hands, it was circulating through his body. He felt Asteria and Perses together, and he completed the triangle of power.

"My son, focus on the island."

His father's deep voice did not break his concentration, but it instead pushed him deeper into it. Calix's reach expanded across the entire island and he was aware of all things at the same time.

"Focus on the death happening. Tell me what you see."

Calix focused and saw a two-headed panther chasing a golden deer. The panther leapt and sunk its two sets of teeth onto both sides of the animals' neck, wounding it. Both heads took hold of one side of the head, then they threw their heads backward to snap the deer's neck.

"I see a panther killing a deer."

"And what is it doing now?"

Calix refocused and saw the panther dragging the deer towards a lush tree. He felt the panther's purpose; it wanted to feed its children. As if on cue, small two-headed kittens came out and nuzzled the panther.

"It's feeding its family."

"Yes. And what would have happened if the panther would have just ripped the deer apart and continued to rip it apart?"

"The deer would have nothing substantial to bring home to its family."

In his focus, Calix felt Asteria smile. Perses continued with his lesson.

"My final lesson, my son, is that destruction without a purpose or limitations, is chaos. Though chaos has its place, beware of individuals who destroy senselessly. Destruction should yield positive results, not be a tool to stop something from existing. Does that make sense?"

"Yes."

Calix thought of what would happen if he destroyed Artemis.


	3. Harbinger

**I do not own the rights to any of these characters. All of these characters are either based upon Greek myth or the Percy Jackson series created by Rick Riordan. I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to read my story. If you can, please let me know what you think of the story; all feedback is appreciated. Cheers!**

Many moons later, Calix was fully grown. His hair was thick, full and cut in a stylish fashion. His beard was full, moisturized and black. Muscles rippled from every part of his body, though not as large as his father. One of the Graces had provided him with a pattern of black shapes and drawings on his left arm, which represented the name of his parents in multiple ancient languages.

In his training with Perses, he developed great strength, speed as swift as the wind, and the durability to withstand direct attacks from a Titan. His fighting skills was such that he was able to defeat his father about six times out of ten that they fought. When he would defeat his father regularly, his mother had used her necromantic abilities to summon several human ancient Greek heroes to train against. He would steadily fight and learn from each of them until he was victorious, and then he would fight all of them at once.

His mother had worked to develop his natural ability to harness moon-based energy. He was now able to channel his internal power into several types of moonlight-based energy releases. He was told by Asteria that his silver eyes took on a golden glint whenever he utilized his moonlight energy abilities. His mother also taught him how to fly like a shooting star, using the winds and the air currents to propel him.

Perses and Asteria would do things for Calix that he felt odd. It was as if they were preparing him for the time that he left Delos, but chose not to prepare for the venture themselves. They provided him with several weapons. The first was the bow of Eurytus. Eurytus was an individual who possessed archery skills that rivaled Apollo. When he challenged the god to a competition, he was killed for his overconfidence. The spirit of Eurytus now inhabited the bow and the artifact was passed to Iphitus, who then passed it to Odysseus, and ended up in the hands of his mother, Asteria. The bow was found to give the wielder perfect aim, which compounded upon his own supernatural aim. Calix practiced with the bow so much that it became an extension of his own body. The second was the Sword of Attila, an artifact designated as the "Sword of God." It had a regular-sized hilt, but sported a large, thick blade that more closely resembled a slab of pointed rock than shaped metal. He also received a large Labrys axe from his father. These weapons were able to be carried around by a harness that his mother created for him. It allowed him to hold the axe and the Sword of Attila on his back in the shape of an "X," as well as hold the bow in a sling that ran diagonal across his body.

Asteria would even help prepare Calix for the outside world through his dreams. Whenever Calix slept, Asteria permitted him the opportunity to view the modern culture of humans through dreams. He would people-watch, consume all types of media, and look at the modern-day inventions that humans came up with. He explored the meanings of jobs, holidays, relationships, entertainment, and modern-day slang. He learned the meanings and constructions of race, economics, poverty, and modern-day war. Calix observed the ubiquitous influence of Greek culture throughout the world as well.

In a dream one night, he was watching a movie where the individual that walks on the sky was swinging a sword made of light. The dream suddenly dissolved.

He sat up to see his mother's face. Asteria seemed uncharacteristically unsettled. She tried for a smile and helped Calix up. She regarded him for a second and took a shaky breath.

"I need to send you on a quick quest."

Excitement shot through Calix's body like the moonlight energy erupting from his hand years ago.

"Anything, mother. What do you need me to do?"

He noticed tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "I need you to leave this island and find us a plant with emetic properties."

Calix stood so he towered over his mother. "You need Perses to throw up? Is he sick?"

Asteria seemed to half smile, but tears fell. She nodded. "He needs the plant so we can cure him. Whenever you get back from retrieving the plant, we will cure your father and we will visit your sister, Hecate. Do you understand?"

Calix reached to wipe the tears from his mother's face, but Asteria gently pushed him away.

"Please hurry, my son."

Calix nodded and sprinted out the cave and down the hill. He ran towards the ocean and knelt at the docile waters. He thought of Emetic Flowers and he smelled the scent of them towards the nation of Turkey. Following the scent, he ran alongside the water for a few seconds before leaping into the air. When he had reached the height of his jump, the wind currents seemed to hold him up. He willed himself towards the direction of the scent and he flew there at speeds that generated sonic booms.

The night air was peaceful and relaxing as the wind blew him along his journey. He smelled the underwater creatures swimming around and when he looked down, he saw legions of animals following him in his journey. Though they were not nearly fast enough to keep up with him, there were so many following his path that it seemed like a conveyor belt of sea creatures. The older he became, the more that animals seemed to follow him.

He whisked higher into the sky. Feelings of euphoria threatened to creep into his heart, but he pushed it down; he needed to complete this quest for his mother. The scent was getting stronger and the shore of Teos was starting to approach. He saw trees and white beach houses emerging as he got closer.

A shiver reverberated through his body and the wind started to blow in the opposite direction; it was blowing as if to push him the other way. Calix looked down. There were no longer animals rushing towards the shore, but he saw sea animals swimming in the other direction. Calix stopped his flight and floated on two wind shafts that kept him suspended. He blocked out the ocean and focused on his senses. He heard a familiar yell of battle and he smelled the scent of ichor, the blood of the gods.

 _Danger._

However, this was not coming from the shore of Teos.

It was coming from Delos.

Panic grabbed him by his shirt and pulled him at supersonic speeds back to his home island. To get an angle of high visibility, he flew high in the sky as he continued to head towards the island. As he approached his home, he saw something he would never forget.

A large man in blood red armor plunged a huge, glowing sword through his mother.

The man emanated power, but he felt familiar to Calix. The power reminded him of the power he felt in his dream years ago when his mother showed him her depiction of Artemis.

This man was an Olympian god.

The god pulled his sword out of Asteria and threw his head back in grand laughter. Asteria's form shimmered and she fell to the ground. He then walked over to Perses, who was on the ground next to him. He put his foot on Perses' throat.

Even from that height, Calix's enhanced senses picked up exactly what he said.

"Perses…the Titan of destruction, out here living a life of a coward? I would've thought you would be out in the fray, blowing shit up and doing what you do. What happened?"

Calix heard Perses' throat cracking under the god's weight.

"What was that? I can't quite hear you."

The god took his foot off Perses' throat and squatted down to him. He punched Perses once, then twice, then continued to punch him at high speeds until ichor sprayed on his face. The god licked the ichor off his lips and continued his barrage. Once he finished, he stood back up and used his armor to wipe the ichor off the rest of his face. The attempt only succeeded in smearing the immortal blood all over.

"Oh, well. Never meet your heroes, am I right?"

He raised his sword. Calix flew down to the island at supersonic speeds. The man stabbed his sword through his father's neck. Calix willed himself to go faster, as fast he could. He looked at his mother on the ground, who was somehow already meeting his gaze. She raised her hand weakly and a wall of invisible force knocked into Calix, stunning him and stopping his advance.

As Calix was recovering, he heard the man hurt his mother once more.

Asteria cried out.

The man laughed.

"Why are you doing this? Why not just leave us in peace?" Asteria's voice was strangled and pleading.

Calix's vision was starting to clear up as he heard his response.

"Because you're Titans, darling. And after all these centuries, we've found you. And I couldn't wait to kill you. I asked Zeus if I could do it myself. But back to Tartarus you go, miss. I'm about to go party."

The man snapped his fingers and disappeared.

Asteria's hand fell to the ground.

Calix flew to the ground and dragged Perses next to Asteria.

"What happened? What _happened?_ Mother, why would you stop me?"

Asteria coughed up ichor and began to choke on it. She tried to say something, but it did not come out audibly.

Perses grabbed Calix's face. He couldn't divert his attention from the pool of ichor forming underneath his father's throat.

"Avenge your mother's death, child. Remember, destruction and death—"

Perses began to cough and fight against the blood gurgling through his throat. Once he forced it down, Calix saw his life force leaving him. Before he fully died, he said his last words.

"—something new."

He heard his mother whisper something, but he did not comprehend it. He sat on the ground as his parents' life forces left their bodies and their physical forms burst into golden mist. Calix fought any tears coming down, but could not fight the blood that was rushing to his ears. He heard nothing but his own anger rising like water in a closed space.

Calix sat there for days. He did not sleep. He stared off into the ocean. A couple times, he found himself blasting the ocean due to its refusal to honor his parents' death. The waves kept coming, the ocean continued to churn, and the moon continued to rise amongst the sky and stare in a cynical way. He saw the glowing blue birds flying from the horizon, now expertly flying in sync with one another.

Finally, he found himself falling asleep.

And when he did, the dreams came in waves.

His first dream showed a large room made of white marble, gold, and bronze walls. The ceiling showed the nighttime sky and continued to shift as more constellations came into view. It reminded Calix of his mother, Asteria. Huge columns held up the ceiling, as if to stop the stars from raining down and obliterating the room. There were twelve thrones in the shape of a half oval, facing outwards towards the door. In the center of the room was a large red fire with a child tending it.

There were four beings within the throne room, not including the child. The first was a being in a white robe with wings on his feet and a slightly elven expression. He was sitting on a throne made of gray stone with the heads of rams on the arms of it. The second was large man wearing what Calix recognized as biker's gear.

Calix's heart twisted. Though he wore different clothes, he knew that the man was the same one wore the red armor and killed his parents. He was making his way towards a throne made of leather and metal, with human bones woven into the chair's material. The third was an individual wearing golden robes that shone like the sun, sitting on a throne just as radiant. His body language reflected an innate self-confidence.

The fourth captured all of Calix's attention.

It was Artemis; a woman who looked just as she did in his mother's sequence. She seemed to be waiting on a silver throne that had a cushion made of wolf skin. His mother's words came back to him about those that hunt for sport.

The man with the biker's gear whooped. "Three more Titans down for the count, baby! How'd you do, Artemis?"

Artemis was cleaning an arrow quiver. "Down, Ares, I've hunted down at least six this year."

Ares collapsed on his throne with a satisfied sigh. Calix thought that he heard screams from the chair as he sat. "Woman, families don't count. Just because you got Koios, Phoebe, Lelantos, and your mother, doesn't mean that counts as four. Plus, I got Asteria, so you didn't even get the whole family."

Artemis sat up in her throne. Calix felt strength coming off her and her silver eyes shook with anticipation. "Ares, did you notice anything mysterious about the island of Delos? It had a strong layer of magic surrounding it and those Titans seemed to go down a bit too quickly."

The man in golden garments looked up, as well as the ones with wings on his feet. Ares threw his head back.

"Uh, no. Nothing that really stood out. I used to love hearing stories about Perses, though. But he went out like a punk. So that sucked. Otherwise, nothing else. Asteria was still the pacifist she usually is."

The man in gold shifted in his seat. "Yes, our aunt was always one to prefer talking over fighting. You killed her?"

"Apollo, did you want to come with me to Tartarus to make sure? Man, you guys are annoying. I killed them. With my own sword. Their last sight was my eyes and my laugh. That was it."

If Calix had a body, his mouth would have been dry. He didn't know that his mother was the aunt of Artemis and Apollo. That would then make her…something like his great-aunt, by human standards. Calix thought that concept was too odd to spend a lot of time thinking about it. However, Artemis had sent her own mother to Tartarus.

These were the Olympian gods. They were counting how many Titans they could hunt down and damn to Tartarus.

They were _celebrating_ his mother's death.

As Calix was processing this information, he felt his body temperature rise. He whipped towards the source, hoping to see his father. Instead, he saw the girl tending the flames looking right at him. Her eyes were swirling like flames and Calix fought the urge to get closer.

Instead, the dream shifted and he saw a woman on a mountain top. The sun was shining high in the light blue sky and Calix felt warmth for the first time in three days. He felt like he did when he, Perses, and Asteria would meditate together. The woman was sitting in a ray of sunlight, upon a mountaintop that capped large, jagged, gray mountains.

The woman was very beautiful, but in an ethereal way. She had a thin frame, a strong and angular face, and long, luscious black hair that reached her shoulders. She was sitting with her legs crossed and her hands put together as if in prayer. Her body was levitating off the ground. Invisible energy, power, and another force Calix did not recognize swirled around her. For a second, he felt the power of his parents circling her. He heard the whisperings of other languages, forgotten tongues, and the dead.

She opened her eyes and inhaled as if taking her first breath.

"Calix." Her voice was scratchy and husky as if she was not used to using words. Her voice had a tinge of finality to it, as if she had been trying out names all morning and finally found the correct one.

The dream shifted once more to a woman standing outside a patch of woods with a large group of women. Calix recognized the energy of the group of women; they were Hunters. They, however, were not the same ones that were behind Artemis when they encountered Orion for the first time. This group was comprised of different people and the energy was centered around a different person. This time, the energy was surrounding a beautiful woman with black hair and lightning blue eyes; the same woman he had dreamed of before. She yelled a battle cry and led the group through the woods with purpose and drive.

The dream dissolved and Calix returned to consciousness. Because of his mother, he was aware that all dreams had a purpose. There was a reason why he was having these dreams, especially why he was having multiple dreams of the woman with black hair and blue eyes.

Calix was frustrated; what these dreams didn't give him was the reason why his mother stopped him or even sent him off in the first place. He could have protected her. The man who was likely Ares would probably have lost against the combined might of Perses and Calix.

He doubted that his father was ever truly sick, but if that was the case, then did she send him off to protect him from Ares' wrath? She would have had to know in advance that Ares was coming to the island. Calix knew that wasn't out of the question because his mother was the Titaness of prophetic divination; she likely was able to see the future through dreams.

Calix did not understand why she would just accept her death like that. He thought back to her saying that they would cure Perses of his ailment, and then they would visit Hecate, his sister.

Was that the woman in the dream? His sister?

Hecate.

She knew his name as well, calling it out once she became aware of his presence. Calix wondered how she was able to sense his presence within a dream and how she knew his name already, as well. His parents had never brought up Hecate more than a few times in their time on Delos.

So why would his mother bring her up now?

Calix looked out to the rising sun and thought about if Apollo and Artemis were watching him through the sun and moon, like two eyes of one monster. When he came to a decision, even the sunlight seemed threatening.

He understood three things from the dreams he had.

From the last dream he had, he needed to find someone who knew who the black-haired woman with the blue eyes was. She seems to be of some sort of significance in his life, and he needed to find out what role she played.

From the second to last dream he had, there is a powerful woman who reminded him of his parents and knew his name. That woman was likely Hecate, his sister, and he needed to find her. He wanted to do so partly to inform her about her parents' death, partly to follow his mother's vague instructions, and partly to find solace in any family he had left.

From the first dream he had, the Olympian gods were figures of great power and demented moral compasses. They hunted down and killed his parents for existing, and they probably have done it and will do it to countless others.

Someone needed to stop their assault.

He needed to avenge his parents' deaths.

All the signs pointed to him becoming what he has been to every single person in his life; a harbinger of destruction.


End file.
